Though paralyzed, still radiantly charming!

Chapter 240: Beat them until they felt the pain

If you just looked at their physical build and intimidation factor, the difference between Ryan and Marco’s men was huge. Ryan was already tall, but he still looked small compared to these guys.

Physical strength often translates to fighting ability—no matter how strong a short guy is, it’s tough to beat a giant.

And these guys weren’t just big,they’d been brawling on the streets for years. Their fighting skills were on a whole different level, something Ryan couldn’t hope to match.

Ryan had better options. He could’ve used his connections, but he still chose to handle things himself.

Mia, who had just smashed the phone she bought earlier, wiped the sweat off her forehead and turned to look at Ryan, only to be shocked by what he was doing.

What the hell is Ryan thinking?!

Just because he’s with Alice doesn’t mean he’s invincible. If he pushes these guys too far, they’ll definitely fight back.

And there were people recording this! Ryan was practically throwing himself into the fire.

“What are you guys doing? Go help Ryan!” Mia was frantic, sweating bullets as she kicked one of the bodyguards who hadn’t moved yet. But it was too late.

Ryan had already thrown a punch. The argument with the man had drawn everyone’s attention, including the workers who had been secretly filming. Now, all eyes—and cameras—were on Ryan.

Ryan’s punch was no threat to the man. Compared to the brutal street fights these guys were used to, it was like child’s play.

Sure enough, just as Ryan’s fist was about to hit the thug’s face, the man’s expression turned to one of disdain.

Ryan held a special place in Alice’s heart, which gave him a certain status. In the gang, there were people who operated in the open and those who worked in the shadows. Ryan wasn’t officially part of the organization, but because of Alice, he was someone you didn’t mess with—second only to the top bosses.

The higher-ups in the organization knew about how Ryan had taken down Rocco at the last meeting. They were still keeping an eye on him, and as long as Alice was in power, no one would touch Ryan.

But unfortunately, these thugs were too low-level to know about that meeting. To them, Ryan was just another lackey.

Marco had sent them to stir up trouble and drive away the workers who were standing up for their rights—the more violent, the better.

So, if they took the chance to beat up Ryan, it wouldn’t be a big deal, right?

The thugs exchanged glances, each seeing the same mischievous glint in the other’s eyes. To them, Ryan’s actions were nothing short of suicidal.

Might as well teach him a lesson, make sure he remembers it.

The man about to get hit smirked, a cruel glint in his eyes as he lifted his foot to kick Ryan in the stomach.

They were usually the lowest of the low, but today, getting to beat up someone connected to Miss Alice? That was a real ego boost.

And when they got back to the streets, they’d have something to brag about.

“Ryan!”

“What are you doing? Stop right now!” Mia screamed, but it was clear she was talking to two different people. The first shout was out of concern for Ryan, the second was a command to the thug.

Since when did some lowlife think he could lay a hand on one of her people? Mia, who was used to being in control, couldn’t believe it.

The man hesitated for a split second, but only for a moment. He’d already decided to go through with it—what was the big deal?

Before Ryan’s fist could reach him, the thug’s foot was already in the air. His moves were far more ruthless than Ryan’s.

Mia covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stifle her scream. She was already seething with rage. If Ryan got hurt, she’d make sure these guys paid for it—tenfold, no, a hundredfold!

The thug’s foot was about to connect, and Ryan would be sent flying before his punch even landed.

But then, Ryan did something no one expected.

Just as his fist was about to hit the thug’s face and the kick was about to land on his stomach, Ryan suddenly changed his move. He brought his elbow down with lightning speed.

The shift was so quick that even the street-hardened thug couldn’t react in time. There was only one explanation—Ryan had anticipated this outcome from the start.

Ryan had seen the mocking look on the man’s face, and it only fueled his anger. It was always like this—these people constantly underestimated Miss Alice’s efforts, always thinking they had the upper hand.

Taking down Rocco hadn’t taught them a lesson. They were greedier than anyone, always willing to take risks if the reward was big enough.

So, there was only one way to deal with people like this: beat them until they felt the pain.

The elbow is one of the hardest parts of the human body, and when Ryan slammed it down on the man’s knee with full force, there was an audible crack, followed by the man’s agonized scream.

The man’s face turned ashen, and he immediately lost his balance, collapsing to the ground and clutching his knee as he writhed in pain.

No one had expected this—Ryan, who didn’t even look like he’d ever been in a fight, had struck with such brutal precision.

Ryan didn’t show any reaction to the scene. He just stood there, eyes sharp, watching the remaining men, clearly ready to keep fighting if necessary.

Finally, the bodyguards Mia had called arrived at Ryan’s side, surrounding him protectively. The man on the ground received a few more kicks from the bodyguards, ensuring he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.

“Ryan, are you okay?”

Mia rushed over, her small hands anxiously patting Ryan down, even gently rubbing his cheek in concern.

Ryan’s move had left her stunned. She couldn’t wrap her head around how he’d managed to pull off such a vicious attack.

Hadn’t Ryan grown up in an orphanage? How did he know how to fight like that?

The more she got to know Ryan, the more layers he seemed to reveal, and Mia found herself increasingly unable to figure him out.

“I’m fine, I’m totally fine.”

Surrounded by the bodyguards, the fierce aura Ryan had just moments ago seemed to dissipate. His gaze shifted to the workers who were now running away, and he happened to catch one of them putting away a phone.

Ryan’s actions had undoubtedly been recorded. If that footage made it online, it would cause him no end of trouble.

Normally, he should’ve done everything he could to stop that evidence from getting out, but Ryan just watched the man leave without making a move to stop him.

It wasn’t until the man was out of sight that Ryan let out a small sigh of relief.

“Hey! The phone!”

Mia had been watching Ryan’s expression closely, and when she saw him zone out, she followed his gaze.

She started hopping in frustration, pointing at the person who had run off, signaling the bodyguards to go after him.

But it was too late. By the time Mia noticed, the man had already gotten too far away, and once he got into a car, there was no catching him.

“Damn it…”